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Indonesian man faces seven years in prison over ricin plot

Indonesian prosecutors recently announced that a man accused of plotting to poison police officers with ricin faces seven years in jail.

Ali Miftah, an herbal medicine seller whose real name is Amri Firmansyah, allegedly planned to help a group of six other suspects ship water bottles tainted with ricin to several regional police headquarters throughout Indonesia, according to TheJakartaGlobe.com.

"He was involved in an evil conspiracy," prosecutor Ricky Rommy said, TheJakartaGlobe.com reports. "[He attempted] to help or commit a premeditated act of terrorism."

Ricky said Ali has also been charged with two other crimes under Indonesia's 2003 Law on Terrorism.

"We declare that Ali Miftah is [also] guilty for helping hide [then] terrorist fugitive Umar Patek and for his possession of pen guns," Ricky said as he read the indictment, TheJakartaGlobe.com reports.

The alleged mastermind behind the conspiracy, as well as the group's chemist, face six years in prison for their roles in the plot.

The group appears to be only loosely affiliated with other known terrorist groups. Ali was linked to a terrorist training camp in Aceh, according to AsiaNewsNet.com.

Most of the members of the cell had stable jobs and appear to have been inspired, in part, by the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. They said they decided to attack the police for their efforts in arresting mujahedeen, or holy warriors.